A recipe for when you’re craving a little nostalgia
When my parents used to ask what I wanted to be when I grew up, my answer was always: “a Bertolli-grandma.” Of course, I had no clue that Bertolli is actually a 100% Dutch brand and anything but Italian. But still...the dream stuck. Cooking for family. Long tables. Crusty bread. Bottles of wine. Always snow-white napkins (don’t ask me why, but somehow that detail lived in my imagination). Afternoons slowly melting into evenings filled with stories.
And what would I cook? Only one thing: Spaghetti alla Bolognese.
Because if there’s one classic that has truly earned its place in the history of food, it’s this one. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve eaten it and just as often, tried making it myself. But somehow, that real Italian version always slipped through my fingers. Until now.
Over the past few weeks, I’ve devoured two books from cover to cover:
✦ Permaculture Gardening: A Sustainable Guide to Cultivating Abundance
✦ Essentials of Italian Cooking
The first is a lifesaver when, like me, you’re a city girl suddenly finding herself in a vegetable garden. I love it but let’s be honest: I have no idea what I’m doing.
The second? My newest bible. I think I’ve read it at least four times already and every word is etched into my memory. It may be from the 90s, but everything in it still rings true today. It captures Italian cooking exactly as it is: timeless, honest, warm. Every essential ingredient explained in detail (which makes sense, given the title). And the recipes? Simply to die for. Including, of course, the recipe for the one and only Spaghetti alla Bolognese.
It takes a little patience and time. But it’s worth every second. I promise.
La pazienza è l’ingrediente segreto
What I use
✦ 2 carrots
✦ 2 onions
✦ 2 celery ribs
✦ Olive oil
✦ Ground beef (around 250 g)
✦ Ground pork (around 250 g)
✦ Bottle of tomato pulp
✦ A splash of red wine
✦ Spaghetti (of course)
How I made it (but feel free to do it your way; trust your gut)
✦ Start by chopping the celery, carrot and onion
✦ Boil the pasta in water
✦ Warm the olive oil and sauté the onion first
✦ Add the carrot and celery.
✦ Brown the meat, then deglaze with red wine
✦ Once the alcohol has cooked off, stir in the tomato pulp.
Now sit back and relax. Let the sauce simmer gently for at least 2 hours.
When the pasta is just al dente, toss it straight into the sauce.
What I might try next time
Making more :-)
Your turn!
We all learn cooking in our own way. From our mothers, our grandfathers, a holiday abroad or a happy accident at home. These moments shape your taste, the ingredients shape your style. But taste and style are not fixed; they move along with the rhythm of your life.
A meal is never just a meal. It’s a memory. A moment. Your moment. So don’t think of recipes as strict rules. Think of them as gentle directions, little suggestions along the way. A here-and-now moment. And it's entirely yours. Because nobody tastes what you taste. Play with food, dance in your kitchen and find your own taste.